Abstract:
Background: Hand-arm vibration is vibration transmitted from a work process into workers
hand and arm. People who use jackhammers, chainsaws, grinders and drills are at risk of
contracting HAV. Long term excessive exposure to HAV through vibrating hand tools can
induce hand arm vibration syndrome that lead to reduction in factory products.
Objective: To assess work related to hand-arm vibration exposure and associated factors among
Fincha sugar industry operation workers in Horo Guduru Wollega, Western Ethiopia, 2023.
Methods: Institutional based cross-sectional study was carried out among 374 sugar industry
workers from April 1-30/2023 in Fincha sugar industry. Stratified random sampling technique
with a lottery method of sampling technique was used to select the study participants. Data were
collected through participant interview by using pre tested structured questionnaire and checklist.
The cleaned data were entered in to Epi data version 4.6 then exported to SPSS version 25 for
analysis. Both descriptive and analytical statistics was done and displayed by text, tables and
figures. Binary logistic regression analysis model was fitted. Odds ratio with their 95% CI were
computed to state the strength of associations. Variables having a p-value < 0.05 in multivariable
logistic regression analysis were used to declare statistically significant variables.
Results: A total of 337 participants with a response rate of 90.1% were included in the final
analysis, 136 (40.4%) of them have exposed hand arm vibration, working experience greater than
5 years, (AOR = 0.26; 95 % CI: 0.08-0.83); not wear available anti vibration device, (AOR =
2.80; 95 % CI: 1.38-5.69); lack of system of safety audit practice, (AOR = 2.29; 95 % CI: 1.01-
5.19); weekly working hours greater than 40 hours, (AOR = 2.13; 95 % CI: 1.04-4.33) were
identified as the associated factors with hand arm vibration exposure.
Conclusion and recommendation:
This study showed that, the hand arm vibration exposure was found to be considerably higher.
Work experience greater than 5 years, not wear available anti vibration device, lack of conducted
safety audit, weekly working hours greater than 40 hours were significant factors associated with
hand arm vibration exposure. Therefor it is better to focus the workers wear available anti vibration device, safety audit practice, reduce weakly working hours and not long hours stay on
vibration device to reduce the extent of hand arm vibration exposure.
